Amusement apparatus.



No. 776,807. PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904.

H. A. SHAULES. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20, 1904.

No. 776.807. PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904. H. A. SHAULES. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20, 1904. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT OEErcE.

HERBERT A. SHAULES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM H. LOOKE, Jlt, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS- SLPEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. "776,807, dated December 6, 1904.

Application filed October 20, 1904. Serial No. 229,329. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, I-Innnrnrr A. SHAULEs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specilieation.

This invention relates to an amusement apparatus of the kind in which a passenger or passengers ride at great speed down a long incline and then up and down shorter inclines t 1 I or bumps. Heretofore the incline has been in the form of a railway, and the passengers ride in cars having wheels adapted to the railway.

The object of my invention is to produce not only a less expensive apparatus, but one which is less dangerous than a railway, in which of course danger is always present, since the wheels are liable to jump the track. I provide for a sliding movement in place of a rolling movement, so that the passenger may coast down the chute and experience all the delights of winter coasting down a high hill.

In carrying out my invention I construct a chute with along incline which may be of sinuous or wavy character with succeeding short rises and inclines in alternation. The chute consists of a floor with high sides, and the passenger slides upon a toboggan of suitable type, preferably such as that hereinafter de scribed. The floor of the chute is carpeted with cocoa matting, whose nap is long and springy, thus eonducing to the rapid move ment of the toboggan, which has a polished bottom, while the yielding quality of the matting enables it to absorb the shocks as the toboggan goes over the bumps, so that neither toboggan nor passenger is liable to damage.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a chute made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the gap portion of the chute seen at Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a form of chute having a straight main incline and a gap to be jumped by the toboggan. Fig. i is a cross-section of the chute, showing the carpeted bottom and the flaring sides. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the main incline of the chute, illustrating how the nap of the matting is laid over by the coursing of the toboggans down the same. Fig. 6 is a plan of a toboggan, its floor-cushion be ing partly broken away. Fig. 7 is a view of the polished bottom of the toboggan. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the toboggan.

The stationary portion of the apparatus is in the form of a chute, comprising a floor l and flaring sides 2 of suitable height, so that there will be no possibility of the toboggan accidentally climbing over the same. The flaring of the sidestends to prevent harsh c0llisions of the toboggan thereagainst, while permitting the toboggan, in case it rides a little up the side, to descend gradually to the floor. The preferred angle of the sides is about sixty degrees from horizontal, as at Fig. 4:. The width of the chute is a little greater than that of the toboggan 3, so that the latter may slide freely along, but cannot bind or skew between the sides 2.

The floor of the chute is carpeted with cocoa matting 4, which may consist of a succession of separate mats such as are in common use for door-mats, the junction of the mats being indicated at 5, Fig. 5. This matting has a long springy nap 6, along which the polished bottom 7, Fig. 7, of the toboggan slips freely, repeated coursing of the toboggan along the chute having a tendency to lay the nap down, as seen at Fig. 5. Both the nap and the body of the matting are yielding, so that danger is avoided of injury to either toboggan or passenger in passing over the rises or bumps. (Seen at 8, Fig. 1.)

The main incline 9 of the chute may be either straight, as at Fig. 3, or wavy, as at Fig. 1. At any point in the chute, preferably at the bottom of the main incline 9, as at Fig. 3, may be built a short rise 10, followed by a gapat 11, an incline 12 being constructed at the termination of the gap. The long coast .down the main incline 9 gives the toboggan and rider considerable impetus, only a small portion of which is lost in sliding up the rise 10, so that the toboggan is enabled to jump the gap, following the path indicated by the dotted line 13, thus conducing to the excitement of the sport. The chute may be narrowed, as at 14, Fig. 2, so as to direct the toboggan accurately across the gap-that is, the sides of the chute may be brought nearer to each other, so that the toboggan is closely confined desired, this feature may be inserted in the Fig. 1 construction at the point (J.

The toboggan 3 may be built with cleats :17, covered by a cushion 18, and preferably a 20 flexible handhold 19 extends along each side of the toboggan. This handhold may consist of a rope connected to posts 20. It is desirable that the toboggan should be of flexible build, and by using rope for the handholds I avoid adding to the stifl'ness of the structure.

A pile-carpet or other suitable covering for the floor of the chute may be used within the scope of my invention, and other variations may be resorted to. Portions of my improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim- 1. An amusement apparatus comprising a toboggan and a toboggan-slide in the form of an inclined chute having floor and sides, the floor being carpeted throughout with cocoa matting.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising an inclined chute having a floor and flaring sides, the floor being carpeted with cocoa matting.

, 3. An amusement apparatus comprising a ing of textile fibrous material provided upon its upper surface with a long nap.

4. An amusement apparatus comprising a toboggan and a chute, the latter being provided with a carpeting of fibrous material which is capable of a great degree of yielding action under the pressure of the loaded toboggan.

5. An amusement apparatus comprising a toboggan and atoboggan-slide, the latter having a long incline, a rise, and a gap; the slide being carpeted with fibrous material of such nature as to conduce to the freely-sliding movement of the toboggan.

6. An amusement apparatus comprising a toboggan and a toboggan-slide, the latter having a long incline, a rise and a gap; said slide comprising a floor and flaring sides, thefloor being widened at the termination of the gap, and the sides thereat being correspondingly separated or diverging.

T. An amusement apparatus comprising a toboggan and a toboggan-slide, the latter having a long incline, a rise, a gap, and a succeeding incline; said slide comprising a floor and sides.

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a toboggan and a toboggan-slide, the latter having a long incline, arise, and a gap; said slide comprising afloor and sides, the floor being widened at the termination of the gap, and the sides at said termination being correspondingly separated or diverging, and the sides at the termination of said rise being closer together than upon said long incline, so as to direct the toboggan over the gap.

9. An amusement apparatus comprising a toboggan and a toboggan-slide in the form of a chute of sinuous or wavy formation; said chute consisting of a floor and sides, the floor being carpeted with yielding material, and the toboggan having a rope extending along each side for a handhold.

HERBERT A. SHAULES.

Witnesses:

B. U. STIOKNEY, Nu. N. MAoLEAN. 

